10 Historic Texas Wedding Venues We Love

Make a little history of your own at one of these notable spots.

by Amy Beth Frye

The Adolphus

1321 Commerce Street, Dallas; (214) 742-8200; HotelAdolphus.com

Babe Ruth, Oscar de la Renta and Queen Elizabeth II have all spent the night at the Adolphus Hotel. The grand hotel was built in 1912 by beer baron Adolphus Busch (of Anheuser-Busch). It's a gorgeous venue for a traditional wedding and can hold a big Texas crowd (up to 540 guests!). One of the best parts of getting married here is booking the French-Renaissance-style Grand Ballroom.

The Austin Club

110 East Ninth Street, Austin; (512) 477-9496; AustinClub.com

The 133-year-old Millett Opera House, now the home of the Austin Club, was the epicenter of Austin's social scene in the late 1800s. The location is super-convenient. There are Baptist, Episcopal, Catholic and Presbyterian churches all within one block. The ballroom has high ceilings, five enormous crystal chandeliers, a mahogany bar, its own in-house caterer and seats up to 230 people. Bonus: The Texas Capitol Building is two blocks away, so make sure to grab your photographer for a photo op.

Austin Museum of Art -- Laguna Gloria

3809 W. 35th Street, Austin; (512) 458-8191; AMoA.org

Want a destination-wedding feel but don't want to leave town? This Mediterranean-style mansion conjures up Lake Como with its 12 acres of gardens and views of Lake Austin. There are a few options here for your ceremony, including in the amphitheater beneath giant oak and elm trees with water views or under a pergola in the Sunken Garden surrounded by rose bushes. Whatever you choose, set up your tented reception for over 400 guests on the front lawn, which is conveniently located next to the amphitheater and garden.

The Driskill Hotel

604 Brazos Street, Austin; (512) 474-5911; DriskillHotel.com

Built by cattle baron Jesse Driskill, the Driskill Hotel opened its doors in December 1886, making it the oldest hotel in downtown Austin. The hotel has hosted the inaugural balls of three Texas governors. For your own monumental event, hold your ceremony and reception in the the Driskill Mezzanine, which fits up to 350 guests and includes the Driskill Ballroom with a vaulted dome and gorgeous crystal chandeliers. Guests can get some air on two balconies off the Mezzanine, which look out onto Brazos and Sixth Streets. After a long night of partying, escape to one of five suites on the second floor, like the LBJ Suite, which has a private balcony overlooking Sixth Street and a bathroom to die for, with 10-foot stained-glass windows, Jacuzzi tub and a rain shower.

House Plantation

15743 House Road, Hockley; (281) 758-0706; HousePlantation.com

Scan the horizon from the porch of the 1890s House Plantation and you'll see nothing but 400 acres of green grass. Say your vows under a white gazebo as up to 350 guests look on at you -- as well as a lake. The Victorian home has a two-story wraparound porch shaded by pecan trees, where guests can relax during the cocktail hour. Then party on the covered patio, open on all sides and surrounded by crepe myrtles and oleander, or put up a tent on the lawn. There's an old wishing well, which is adorable for pictures, and a horse-drawn carriage is available if you've always dreamed of making a grand entrance.

McNay Art Museum

6000 North New Braunfels, San Antonio; (210) 805-1782; McNayArt.org

Art enthusiasts will love the McNay Art Museum, Texas' first museum of modern art and home to Diego Rivera's Delfina Flores, Picasso's Portrait of Sylvette and Monet's Water Lilies. Heiress Marion McNay donated the 24-room Spanish Revival mansion in 1950. Hold your ceremony at the foot of the Koehler Fountain, which has a round brick patio surrounded by lush greenery. For cocktail hour, move to the courtyard -- a brick patio with a Mexican Talavera tiled fountain and palm trees wrapped in twinkle lights. The Leeper Auditorium, for your reception, seats 250 guests with a dance floor and features high ceilings flanked by wood panels. The white walls offer a blank canvas for creative lighting.

Pearl Stable

312 Pearl Parkway, San Antonio; (210) 212-9539; EventsatPearl.com

The renovated Pearl Stable, where the Pearl Brewery stable horses lived in the late 1800s, is as Texas-chic as you can get. You can hold your ceremony (and outdoor reception, if you want) in the Pearl Stable Courtyard, a 10,000-square-foot outdoor space with a gorgeous 55-foot-long fountain in front of the Stable. The circular lobby of the Stable, with chandeliers made of wood and reclaimed beer bottles, is ideal for cocktail hour. Then seat up to 450 guests in the Stable for dinner and dancing.

Sengelmann Hall

If you love dancing and live music, pay attention. Sengelmann Hall is a restored 1890s dance hall with the original 115-year-old long-leaf-pine dance floor, pressed tin ceilings and a stately mahogany bar. The dance hall can fit up to 400 guests and also has a private balcony with room for 30 more people (a great rehearsal dinner option) overlooking Main Street and access to the German biergarten, which fits 175 people. Enjoy the convenience of in-house catering and the location (only an hour-and-a-half from San Antonio, Austin and Houston). Tell guests to look closely at the venue's walls -- history lovers can hunt for bullet holes left over from brawls in the 1800s.

Spanish Governor's Palace

This 260-year-old stucco adobe building once served as a Spanish military post. For a smaller 100-person wedding, have both the ceremony and reception in the Spanish-like Main Courtyard, a cobblestone patio with large archways, an old wishing well and lush foliage. During the swap from ceremony to reception, host cocktail hour in the side courtyard, which has wooden benches and walking paths. Take pictures across the street on the steps of San Antonio's City Hall.

Union Station

400 S. Houston Street, Dallas; (214) 741-7825; UnionStationDallas.com

The Dallas Union Terminal underwent a $23 million renovation in 2008 and emerged a unique historic venue. Host your cocktail hour in the Frisco Room, with room for 350 people, then head to your reception in the spacious Grand Hall. With 48-foot vaulted ceilings, tall arched windows, the station's original chandeliers and Wolfgang Puck Catering, your 600 guests will surely never forget your wedding. And talk about convenience: Union Station is connected to the 1,122-room Hyatt Regency Dallas via a climate-controlled tunnel.